The Frozen Rush of Waves
by EspeonSilverfire2
Summary: Toshiro Hitsugaya has been sentenced to execution for the murder of six Soul Reapers and the theft of an ancient artifact. With both the captain himself and the tell-tale ice of Hyorinmaru at the crime scene, he must be guilty. But is he really? On Hiatus
1. Prologue

A/N- This is just a little something I'm writing in my free time, in between revising for exams and rushing to meet coursework deadlines! My other fanfic is on hiatus because of those things right now, so please don't expect me to update this regularly! Anyway, I hope you enjoy the prologue, and please review with your comments!

**The Frozen Rush of Waves**

**Prologue**

"Someone once told me, that when you are about to die, the first thing you hear is the rush of the waves..."

"And then what?"

"The crash of drums..."

"And then?"

"Nothing."

The man frowned and his eyebrows knitted together. "Look, don't worry. We're going to get you out of here, I promise." His knuckles tightened around the bars separating him from the captive man.

A pair of sea green eyes gazed blankly at the floor. A sigh from the other sent his snowy hair ruffling gently in the slight breeze.

"They said it was Hyorinmaru that did this. You don't think-?"

"No." The word was barely more than a whisper. "If it was I'd know..." He reached one pale hand up and grasped the cloth over his heart. "...In here."

Hands tightened around the glinting metal bars. Eyes stared, full of pain, at the prisoner. After a long moment, the free man spoke again.

"There was ice everywhere. Six Soul Reapers were found dead, and you were found unconscious at the scene, the sacred artefact in your hands. There was no sign that anyone else had been there, and you were sighted going into that place mere minutes before the attack happened!"

What had started as a simple explanation of facts ended with the man slamming his fists against the bars in anger. Not only anger at the crime it seemed so clear that this man had committed, but also frustration that it seemed there was nothing he could do to help him now.

"Calm down, Renji." The vacant man spoke softly, his voice like the brush of a feather. "I..." He sighed quietly. "Perhaps I am fated to die here, like this..."

"But, do you want to die?"

Toshiro sighed again, then close his eyes. "No. I don't want to die..."


	2. Chapter 1 Questionable Guilt

A/N- Well, I didn't expect chapter 1 to be finished so fast! XD I suppose it's because I haven't had much homework lately. For all those who haven't read my fanfics before, I don't write very long chapters- they're about 3-5 pages on Word- but I try to update whenever I can. Unfortunately have my GCSEs coming up in May, so I have preparation to do for those as my top priority. But I love writing, so I'll try to write when I can :)

Also, I tend to watch dubs of anime, not subs (although I do watch subs when there's no dub, or when I'm in a hurry to watch something and I come across a sub first) so although I do know the sub terminology (shinigami, vice-captains etc.) I'll be using the dub terms for the most part in this fanfic, so please don't flame me for it. Though I couldn't resist slipping one little bit in!

Enjoy!

--

**Chapter 1**

"They're going to do what?!" Rangiku dropped the stack of paperwork she was holding in shock.

"They're going to put Captain Hitsugaya to death." Renji had one hand on the doorframe and his expression was troubled. "He has 28 days left until he'll be executed."

"But... they just can't do that!" the woman protested, eyes wide and full of panic. "They can't-"

"Yes, they can, Rangiku," Renji sighed. "I'm just as frustrated at this as you are, but there's nothing we can do. This is the final decision of the Head Captain. We're simply not highly enough ranked to do anything about it."

"So we just let him die then?!" Matsumoto's voice was sharp and harsh.

Renji sighed once more and turned away, out of the door. As he stepped out of the room, he spoke one last time.

"I'm sorry, Rangiku. I really am."

She waited for a long moment while his footsteps died away, then sank to her knees in a flood of sadness and pain.

--

Curled up in the dark confinement, his mind flooded with memories.

"_Hey Shiro-chan!"_

"_Shut up, Bed-wetter Momo!"_

A small smirk fluttered across his lips.

But then the faint frown across his face hardened. His memories of the last few days were a blur. He remembered nothing of what had happened, and when he tried... all he got was a pain in the head.

With a frustrated sigh he rolled over, the only other noise the sound of his crumpled clothes rustling as he moved awkwardly. His sides ached with the effort of motion, and a sharp pain stabbed from his chest. He was in bad shape. With a look of desperation seeping from his bright turquoise eyes amidst the dark, he closed his sea-green orbs and focused on thinking back. Pain hit his head hard, an inescapable ache as he cast his mind backwards, but all he received for his trouble was a vague shape... a shadow raising something over him...

--

"WHAT?!"

Ichigo's jaw dropped, and he sent Kon plunging to the floor with a yelp. As he span round to face Rukia, his foot slammed down upon the unfortunate plushie, who squeaked in pain.

"I said, Captain Hitsugaya's been accused of murder and theft. He's going to be executed in a month's time."

Ichigo could hardly believe it. "And Renji told you that?"

"Yes."

"Is he on the line now?"

Rukia nodded and held up her phone, Chappy the rabbit dangling rather inappropriately from it, given the gravity of the situation.

"Put him on speaker."

Rukia nodded and with an "Uh huh" pressed a button on the phone keypad. Renji's voice came out of the speakers, distorted and tinny, but recognisable.

"_Hey Ichigo. Yeah, you heard Rukia right. They're gonna execute Captain Hitsugaya in 28 days time." _He laughed quietly_. "It's Rukia all over again..."_

A vein pulsed in Rukia's forehead, but she said nothing. Ichigo chuckled quietly in reminiscence, then asked,

"But what did he do to get himself in this mess? I know Toshiro's always been irritable, but he just wouldn't-"

Renji sighed down the phone. _"From the looks of things, it seems he got greedy. He tried to steal an ancient Soul Reaper artefact and killed both the two Soul Reapers who were guarding it and the four who heard the commotion and went to help."_

Ichigo gasped and gaped wordlessly at the phone. Rukia's faced was bowed and grim.

"Is there... is there no way he could have been framed?" Ichigo asked, though his voice sounded on the verge of begging.

At the other end of the line, Renji shook his head, but, realising Ichigo couldn't see him, replied, _"It doesn't seem like it. Hyorinmaru's ice was all over the scene, and the Captain himself was lying there holding the artefact. He was bleeding pretty badly too. Looked like one of the guards almost managed to take him down with him. There wasn't a trace of anyone else there, Ichigo, and he doesn't remember what happened, or he's feigning amnesia. He... he says he's prepared to die, if that's his fate. He doesn't want to die, but it's like he's given in. If he's not guilty, then whatever set this up has broken him."_

Head still bowed, Rukia muttered, "Thank you, Renji," and flipped the phone shut. There was silence in the room for a moment.

"We have to go to the Seireitei," Ichigo finally decided. "That settles it. If he's given in, then we have to go talk some sense into him. And if that doesn't work, we'll have to beat it into the little idiot."

Rukia looked surprised. "You sound like you don't believe he's guilty."

Ichigo shook his head. "No, I don't believe he's guilty. It's all just too... perfect. There's not even a shred of anything dubious. If you ask me, this whole thing is rotten to the core. Besides, I know Toshiro. He'd never turn traitor like that. And even if something were to drive him to it, he'd never _ever_ fake losing his memory as an alibi."

The dark-haired Soul Reaper smiled. "I think you're right, Ichigo. Now come on." She grabbed his arm and yanked him off-balance. "We need to get to Urahara's, quickly!"

As they rushed out of the room, Kon wailed, "Hey! What about me?!"

--

Toshiro blinked open his eyes at the sound of footsteps approaching, although he made no attempt to move further. His sides were still aching badly from shifting earlier and he didn't want to open up his chest wound again. Familiar scarlet hair greeted him as he shifted his gaze upwards, and Renji's almost permanent scowling expression looked down upon him. Of course, Toshiro thought that it was mostly Abarai's facial tattoos which contributed to his ticked-off appearance. Without them he'd probably look normal.

"Hey, Captain," Renji addressed Hitsugaya, "I've just been on the phone to Ichigo and Rukia, and I had a word with Rangiku earlier. Everyone's worried about you. I think Ichigo and Rukia are probably one their way here right now from the World of the Living."

Toshiro's expression remained blank, but his eyes showed a glimmer of pain and anguish. "Why are you telling me all this?" His voice was monotone.

He expected a simple answer from Renji, or no response at all. He never anticipated the Lieutenant's actual reaction. Renji clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. His face darkened and a deep scowl spread across it.

"Because I want you to snap out of it!" he half-yelled. Hitsugaya's eyes widened in shock, and he tilted his head up towards the man. Renji was glaring down at him, his chest visibly heaving. "You bottle everything up inside, but all it's doing is hurting the rest of us! If you're innocent, then you should fight to prove it! If you're guilty then fight for a pardon! And if you really can't remember, and don't know whether you did it or not, then fight for those memories back! We don't think you did it, Captain. None of us do. Not me. Not Rangiku. Not Ichigo or Rukia. No-one. So snap out of this misery you're in and do something about it! Don't just resign yourself to a fate you don't deserve!"

Without realising it, Toshiro's mouth had slipped open slightly during Renji's rant, and it remained open after. All he could do was continue to stare up at the Lieutenant's face. After a long moment, he slowly slid one arm underneath his torso, and, with a huge effort, forced himself to his feet. He looked down at the cold ground and replied quietly, "Thank you, Renji."

A small smile crept across Renji's features. He nodded slightly before turning and walking out of the room.

Left alone in his cell once more, Toshiro stared out at the door where Renji had left, before sinking to his knees and pressing his forehead to the ice-cold bars.

"If... I don't remember..." he whispered quietly, "then I'm innocent?"

He shook his head faintly. "No," he breathed. "If I don't remember, then I could still have done it... I just wouldn't know why I did what I did..."

He sighed. The sound was like water freezing over.

"Am I guilty? Or am I innocent? If I'm guilty then I deserve to rot and die here in this cell. But if I'm innocent..."

His eyes watered with his pain and anguish. He gripped the bars of his cell so tightly his knuckles turned white.

"How...do I... _tell?"_

He dropped his hands to the floor and leaned back.

"Twenty-eight days..."


	3. Chapter 2 The Rising Sun

A/N- Another chapter up so soon! Yay! I've had all Saturday afternoon free, and my muse has been working overtime- so let me present my latest chapter! I hope you enjoy it!

Oh, and just a note- I forgot to mention earlier, this fic is set a short while after rescuing Rukia from execution, roughly when the Bount arc takes place in the anime. So no arrancars or anything like that, sorry! Anyway, I don't know how long it'll be until I can update again, possibly another week or so. Until then, hope you enjoy this fic!

Oh, and please, please review at the end! I really want to know what you think, and I really want to make this fic the best possible one it can be! Thank you!

By the way, DISCLAIMER- I don't own Bleach. Yeah, I forgot to put that earlier, he he.

--

**Chapter 2**

"Ah, Toshiro Hitsugaya. Perhaps, in my opinion, the most useless and _weak_ of all the Soul Reaper Captains..."

"Weak? Why would you consider me _weak_?"

A sneer and a smirk slid over the man's face. "You are not strong like Kenpachi Zaraki, nor are you skilled at healing like Captain Unohana. You are not rich and powerful like Byakuya Kuchiki, and you are certainly not in the same league as Head Captain Yamamoto. Yet you are still considered a prodigy. You are indeed a curious case, Captain Hitsugaya."

Toshiro watched him calmly, ready to react at the slightest hint of an attack. "A curiosity, am I? Well then, if that's the case, I suppose I'll just have to show you my power..."

His expression tightened, and his eyes narrowed faintly. With practiced speed and precision, he swung his zanpakuto round to slice open his enemy. "This is why they call me a prodigy! Now, sit upon the frozen heavens! Hyorinmaru!"

The huge, ruby-eyed ice dragon erupted from his blade with a noise like a shrieking glacier. But before it could even touch its target, the man vanished.

Hitsugaya's eyes widened in shock, then narrowed. He felt the vibrations run up his arm as the dragon smashed into the wall opposite, freezing it over completely.

_A flash step? No. That didn't feel like a flash step. Did he...? Could he have teleported?_

He sighed in frustration and then lowered his sword.

All, of a sudden, he sensed something behind him. Toshiro span around, but before he could fully react, he felt the cold edge of a sword piece his gut. Blood spattered from his mouth, and his eyes widened in disbelief. In shock, he felt his fingers slip from his blade, and he faintly heard it clatter to the ground. His body wouldn't respond, and time seemed to slow down completely as he felt himself slipping backwards into darkness.

"Now then, _Captain,_ you are mine..."

--

With a gasp, Toshiro's eyes flew open. His fists were clenched so hard that his knuckles now matched his hair, and the wound in his chest was throbbing painfully. He breathed heavily for a few moments, his body still full of adrenaline, while he took in his surroundings and his mind recalled what was actually going on. He relaxed as he remembered that he was in a cell, and that, for the time being anyway, he was safe. It had just been a dream.

But something still felt odd about the vision he'd had. If it had only been a dream, then why was his chest so painful? Perhaps it was more than a dream. Perhaps it was... a memory? His head ached again as he tried to think back, and he raised one hand to his temple with a wince. His breathing was still quite ragged, and he knew that it was going to take him a long time to fully recover. He might not even have healed completely before...

No. He didn't want to think about that.

But once the thought, the dreadful reminder, had wormed its way into his head, it was all he _could_ think about. His thoughts turned to Rangiku, and the pain she must be feeling now, believing that her Captain was a murderous traitor. How would she feel after he was gone? And what would happen to his position as Captain of the Tenth Squad? Would she fill it? Or would the pain and the void be too much for her to bear? Would she stay as the Lieutenant? Or would she request a transfer, to get away from all the memories?

In the darkness of the dimly-lit cell, as the cool glow of the moon bathed him in its tranquil light, Toshiro Hitsugaya shed a tear.

--

His plan had failed. It was his own fault, of course. If he hadn't been so rough in the capture, if he had actually used his head instead of simply lashing out, everything would have been a success. Although, he had to admit that the expression on that young Soul Reaper's face had been spectacular as he was gouged. Who would have thought that it would have been so easy to defeat a Captain? All he had needed to do was take him by surprise, and teleporting had easily done that.

But now he needed to try again. Everything had been perfect, right up until the point when that dying guard had run him through, right in that open wound he'd made. A slice of the arm would have worked just as well, but he'd had to be over-dramatic and really do some damage...

Anyway, all he had to do now was find another body to use. It was a simple task to find a strong enough Soul Reaper. He had all of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads to use, all neatly wrapped up in one nice easy package known as the Seireitei. The hardest part was tricking them into releasing their zanpakuto. He'd gotten impatient the first time. If he'd taken more care, he could have wormed a bankai out of the little runt too, and then stealing his prize would have been straightforward...

But who to choose now? They would have to be strong enough to do some damage, preferably have a bankai, but be weak enough to easily capture. A Lieutenant, perhaps? Not many of them had achieved bankai, but he definitely knew of one who had.

"I'm coming to get you, Renji Abarai..."

--

Sea green eyes were tinged with orange as Captain Hitsugaya watched the sun rise brilliantly over the horizon- the dawn of a bright new day.

And the countdown to his execution.

_How many sunrises do I have left?_ he thought. _I wonder... what will it be like when it's my last chance to see one? How will it feel to watch my last sunrise? What will it be like, trying to sleep after my last sunset?_

His penitent thoughts were interrupted by the meek arrival of a Soul Reaper. The figure stepped into the room hesitantly, carrying a tray of food and bandages.

"I... I'm sorry to bother you, C... Captain Hitsugaya. I brought you some food, and Captain Unohana sent me to check on your wounds. I... I might need to redress them."

The Captain did not turn around. He remained kneeling in his cell, his back to the Soul Reaper, watching the last dawdling rays of the sun rise over the horizon. Without turning to face his visitor, his head still tilted to the dawn, he spoke.

"What is your name?"

The Soul Reaper looked surprised. "I... I'm Hanataro Yamada, seventh seat of Squad Four."

"Hanataro..." The snow-haired Captain spoke the name softly. "What do you think it will be like... to see the sun rise for the last time?"

Hanataro was surprised by the remorseful tone in the man's voice. He sounded almost wistful. "I don't know," he replied, setting the tray down on the floor by the bars. "But you... you sound like you've given up. You sound like you're guilty. You didn't really kill those Soul Reapers, did you, Captain Hitsugaya?" Hanataro's voice was trembling.

"I... think I did." Toshiro spoke carefully, choosing every word with precision before he spoke it, still staring up at the sky. A flock of birds, silhouetted against the rising sun, fluttered across the clear blue expanse. "But I... I can't remember."

"If you can't remember, then why do you think you did it?" Hanataro asked, adding an, "If you don't mind me asking, Captain," at the end.

After a long moment, Toshiro turned his head round, his face shadowed by the sky behind and his eyes burning a brilliant turquoise flare. His expression was pleading and full of anguish.

"Because I can feel their blood on my hands."

--

"Ah, I heard about that," Kisuke Urahara drawled, adjusting his hat. "Doesn't sound like the sort of thing that Captain Hitsugaya'd do if you ask me, but who knows? Aizen betrayed the Soul Society, so it's possible that he might too."

Ichigo shook his head. "No. I know Toshiro, and he'd never do a thing like that."

"You say that, Ichigo, but he may have had a motive," Urahara replied. "What if he'd wanted to steal the artefact to gain more power? Maybe he wanted it to take down Aizen?"

"But Captain Hitsugaya would never betray the Soul Society just for petty revenge! He knows we're going to take on Aizen anyway, so why wouldn't he just go with the rest of us?" Rukia half-yelled.

"Aizen almost killed Momo Hinamori," Kisuke murmured.

Rukia's face fell. "Of course. I hadn't thought of that. In that case, he..."

"No!" Ichigo interrupted, grabbing Rukia's shoulders and shaking her back and forth. "No matter who nearly killed who, the fact stands that Toshiro would never betray the Soul Reapers. We can't go doubting him now! Do you want him to be executed?!"

Rukia's eyes widened. "No! Of course I don't!"

Ichigo held her still. "Then we have to believe that he's innocent."

Rukia stared into Ichigo's eyes for a moment, before nodding. The strawberry-haired Soul Reaper turned to Kisuke.

"We need to go to the Seireitei. Will you open up the gate, Urahara?"

The blond-haired man nodded and stood up. "Right then, let's go."

--

He ran his hands through his snow-white hair, his fingers curling around the strands so tightly that he nearly ripped them out. What difference would his innocence make if he couldn't prove it anyway? If the Head Captain did not believe him, and why should he- when all the evidence said otherwise, then it would make no difference. In twenty seven days he would die, and everything would be over. He would have to leave behind all the friends that he'd made: Rangiku, Rukia, Ichigo, Momo...

Momo. What would she do when she finally woke up and found he was dead? What would she do if she woke up now to find him awaiting execution? What would she think when she found out he was a traitor and a murderer? Would it finally break her? He would never forgive Aizen for what he'd done to her. How he'd twisted and shattered her mind. Would the betrayal of her childhood friend tip her over the edge?

Toshiro groaned and rocked backwards, his hands still intertwined into the frost-like strands on his head. Why couldn't he remember? And why did that dream still haunt him so much? Hanataro had re-dressed his wound, and it wasn't hurting so badly anymore. His pain had receded to a faint throb, which allowed his mind time to pour over all his fears and regrets.

He slammed one fist down hard into the ground in frustration. Pain flared in his chest once more and reduced his breathing to rags again. He growled in anger, then checked himself. He mustn't let his temper get the better of him. He mustn't let these emotions overwhelm him. If he did, then that would mean that whoever had done this to him would have won, and Captain Hitsugaya would never let anyone as cowardly as that defeat him. For his sake, and for the sake of all his friends, he had to win.

Closing his eyes, Toshiro laid back and braced himself for the pain of trying to remember.

--

Renji sat down in his chair, worries and anxieties playing over him like sparks of lightning across the sky. What would he do if they couldn't save the Captain? Should he possibly ask Captain Kuchiki if he would use his influence to save Hitsugaya?

He flicked his brush across his desk in worried thought and irritation. He watched as flecks of ink dotted themselves across the blank page he'd left underneath. Would Rukia and Ichigo get here soon? He sincerely hoped they'd be able to help. Perhaps he could-

His train of thought was interrupted by the warning alert going off.

"_Attention! There is an intruder in the Seireitei! There is an intruder in the Seireitei! All Captains are to report to the Head Captain immediately! All other officers are to apprehend the intruder!"_

Renji flung his seat back as he stood up. Could this intruder possibly be the one who had framed Captain Hitsugaya? With a frown, he grabbed Zabimaru and ran out of the door.


	4. Chapter 3 The Six Strike Battle

A/N- OK, just to let you know, this may be the last chapter for a little while, as next week I go to Italy (yay!). I'll probably be busy with packing and coursework this weekend, so it could be a coule of weeks before I update. Anyway, it's a Renji-filled chapter this time, with none of my usual scene-shifting! (Toshiro will be back next time, I promise!)

So anyway, enjoy! Disclaimer- Bleach is not mine, or else Renji would take his shirt off more often!

--

**Chapter 3**

An explosion erupted in the Seireitei, and the shockwaves rippled up Renji's legs as he approached the site, almost knocking him off-balance. A huge plume of dust mushroomed up from a spot not too far ahead. Sliding his zanpakuto from its sheath, he braced himself for battle.

A sickening laugh rattled through the air and into the red-head's ears. A recognizable scream followed, which left Renji gasping in shock. His eyes narrowed and his expression hardened as he yelled, "Rangiku!" and sprinted faster towards the scene. He pushed his body to the limits as he raced to get there in time.

"Renji!" the voluptuous woman called, catching sight of his approach. She was lying sprawled across the ground, her back arched against a hard wall. Blood dripped from cuts all across her body, and she coughed up dust and sand every few moments. Her zanpakuto, Haineko, lay in the dirt half a metre from her hand.

"It's him!" she cried out, pointing to a figure masked by the rising dust. "The man who framed the Captain! It's him, Renji!"

Renji swung his head round and peered into the plume of dust. A shadowy, billowing figure stood there, taller than himself- about 6'4" he guessed, a zanpakuto-like sword hanging from his right hand. A cloak swung and flapped around his shoulders as he turned to face him. Slowly, like the rising of the sun, the dust began to clear, and gradually, bit by bit, his entire figure was revealed.

His most striking feature was his eyes, and what caught Renji's attention most was their colour. They were a piercing ice-blue, darker around the edges and swimming with cerulean, but emblazoned with streaks and spires of crystal towards the centre. They were outlined in pure black, and it was impossible to tell if the colour came from his skin, his lashes, or from make-up applied. His face was narrow and bony, his skin an ivory-white framed with silken-smooth ebony locks. He wore a black kimono, reminiscent of those worn by the Soul Reapers, and the ashen cloak tied around his neck continued to flutter and billow in the stirring breeze.

"Ah, Lieutenant Abarai, just the man I was looking for…" his voice was sleek and glossy, the words flowing from his lips like water into a sink. And like water, it would be very easy to drown in them.

Renji growled and tensed in his fighting stance. His fingers tightened around the hilt of his blade, and he focused his attention entirely upon the enemy before him.

"I'm not gonna kill you," he stated, taking great effort to keep his voice level. "Because if I did, we'd have no proof to keep Captain Hitsugaya alive. But I warn you, as soon as he's free… I will kill you myself!"

The familiar half-roar of his anger crept into the end of his threat, and his vow sounded as savage as the wolves who raise their blood-soaked muzzles to the moon and howl.

"They never change," the man muttered to himself with a smirk. He raised his voice to address the warrior. "In that case, Renji Abarai, know this… it is Katsumi Kaneko who owns you!"

With that, he sprang at Renji, swinging his sword in a wide arc to slice his opponent.

_Hmph, amateur, _Renji thought, his eyes following the curve of the blade through the air._ His moves are predictable, easy to read._

In response, he swung his own sword round, positioning it in front of his chest to block the attack. The two blades struck, sliding together with a shrieking wail. As Renji threw off the attack and prepared his own offensive, he unleashed his shikai with a cry of "Roar, Zabimaru!"

His zanpakuto extended and segmented, whipping through the air in an unstoppable frenzy, directing its attack straight at his opponent. With a grunt, the intruder thrust his own sword in the way to block, but was driven backwards by Zabimaru's overwhelming force. As Renji returned his zanpakuto back in preparation for his next strike, the dark-haired man could not stifle a small smirk.

"You know, it's funny," he said, standing straight and directing his gaze at Renji. The tattooed man sharpened his glare in response.

"What's funny?" his growl was like the rumble of rock over rock as they are forced to grind together.

"My name, Katsumi, means self-control. Which is ironic, really, because those who I slice with my blade lose all of theirs…"

Renji roared and swung his zanpakuto at the man again, yelling, "So that's what you did to Captain Hitsugaya! I should have known he'd never commit treason like that himself!"

The intruder sniggered and blocked the blow with his sword. "Of course. And don't think I don't know all about you, Renji Abarai. You and all the other Soul Reapers in the Seireitei… I know all your weaknesses and strengths. I know who has a shikai, and who has achieved bankai. I even know all your names… Didn't you think it was strange that I said you were exactly the man I wanted to see? It's because you are perfect for completing my goals. You are a Lieutenant, so you are neither as powerful nor knowledgeable as a Captain, yet you have a bankai, which makes you strong. You are also popular, so no-one would ever suspect you of theft, murder or treason. All I have to do is fight you, so my zanpakuto can learn about yours, and then you are mine."

"So you know all about me, huh? Don't you know how much of a stalker you sound?"

His enemy grinned as Renji swung his zanpakuto around again for another blow. Blocking it once more with his sword, he replied, "I may sound like a _stalker_ to you, but it means that I know everything about you, Renji Abarai. You _and_ Zabimaru."

As Renji swung his blade round for another consecutive attack, his eyes widened. "Me and Zabimaru…?"

The man smiled.

"Yes." He once more blocked the strike with his sword. "And that makes three…"

Renji gasped as he finally realised what was happening. This man knew of the three-attack limit of Zabimaru before the segments had to reconnect again. How could he have been so stupid as to forget about that? He'd been so caught up in the guy's monologue that he'd forgotten to cover his weaknesses! Now he had no time at all to defend himself!

As the segments of Zabimaru drew back together, Renji braced himself for an attack. He was anticipating a flash-step. No-one could exploit his three-attack limit from that distance- by the time they reached him Zabimaru would have returned to a blade and he would be able to use it to defend himself. The only way to reach him fast enough was to use a flash-step, but as he looked on, the man simply _disappeared_.

"Huh…?!" Renji gasped as the final few segments of his zanpakuto clicked together. _That wasn't a flash-step. No way. He's done something else… something I've never seen before. Captain Hitsugaya must have been caught out by this same thing. There's no way he would have been defeated otherwise._

Hearing a sound behind him, he spun around just in time to raise his sword and defend against his opponent's attack. The man had appeared right behind him! He must have teleported, or something similar.

With a grunt Renji pushed back his opponent. He had no choice. If his opponent could teleport like that, then he didn't have long before he'd try to do that again… and next time he might not be able to block it. He had to use his bankai.

Summoning up all his energy, he tensed his body and held up his sword. At once a gush of wind and spiritual pressure swirled around him in a massive vortex, cutting off his opponent's oncoming attack.

"Bankai!" he called, and as the vortex dissipated, his newly-formed fur cloak swished around his shoulders. "Hihio Zabimaru!"

He expected his enemy to be shocked, even a little afraid. His chest heaved as he caught his breath, and his eyes blazed with a fiery passion. But, to his surprise, his opponent laughed with glee.

Renji growled, narrowing his gaze and tensing his shoulders. "What's so funny?"

His enemy heaved with laughter, and then, as his splutters died down, wiped his eyes and replied, "You're ready!"

"Huh? Ready?" Renji didn't like the sound of this…

"Do you remember what I said? About my zanpakuto?"

"Uh? You said…" Renji cast his mind back. "You said it needed to learn about my Zabimaru."

"That's right. You see, once I've taken control of someone, I can use their zanpakuto. But I'm limited to the use of only the releases which I have fought in battle. My zanpakuto has to learn your shikai and bankai in battle before it can use them. And now you have unleashed your bankai. Everything is ready…"

Renji gasped as the man vanished again. He span around once more, but this time not fast enough. He felt a blade pierce his chest, and as he fell back into darkness, only had time for a last few words.

"You said… zanpakuto… Does that… make you… a Soul Reaper…?"

For once, the man's face contorted with disgust. "I'm no Soul Reaper. Not anymore."

Renji opened his mouth to speak again, but coughed up blood. His eyelids began to fall over his eyes like the curtains closing at the end of a play. Would this be the end of _his _play?

"I'm sorry… Captain…"


	5. Chapter 4 Breakout

A/N- Woah, it's been ages since I last wrote anything! Sorry for the long wait, guys! First I went on holiday (if you can call it that, since it was kinda with school) to Italy, and now I'm in the middle of my GCSEs! Uwah! Anyway, I've just found that all of my page breaks are no longer working, so I'll have to find some way around that. Besides that, I'm sorry this chapter's a little short, but I wanted to get it up tonight, and I also want to go to bed early ready for my English Literature exam tomorrow, but still- an update's and update!

I hope you enjoy this chapter! Please review! Reviewing makes my day! (Also, the last chapter didn't really get any, so...)

Enjoy!

**ooo**

**Chapter 4**

_Where am I?_

_I can't see... I can't... move my arms... My body- it won't budge..._

_Grr... What is wrong with me? Why am I trapped in this place?_

_And, worst of all... what is that bastard doing to me?_

**ooo**

A pale, icy hand clenched, coiled around a glinting bar. Slender, delicate, yet deceptively strong fingers twitched, as their owner swung his head around to stare out of the nearby window.

"_Attention! There is an intruder in the Seireitei! There is an intruder in the Seireitei! All Captains are to report to the Head Captain immediately! All other officers are to apprehend the intruder!"_

"Rangiku..." he murmured, "Momo..."

His slim frame, still weak from his gaping chest injury, shook as he hauled himself up to his feet, clinging to the bars of his cell for support. Icy eyes, narrowed in a stew of emotions- anger, worry, determination, pain- locked themselves onto a billowing mushroom of dust spewing up from a sudden explosion. His ears pricked like a cat's as he thought he caught the distant yell of "Growl, Haineko!" but he couldn't be sure. Despite his uncertainty, the noise still heightened his senses, sending a fist of adrenalin coursing through his already thoroughly buffeted body. His face, already clenched into its usual either stress or anger-related frown, tightened, and his ivory teeth bit deep into his lip.

The noises died down after a few more agonisingly drawn-out moments. The stress of being trapped, caged as an observer, and unable to help dragged time along at an excruciatingly painful pace, each fraction of a second lasting seemingly a lifetime as Hitsugaya listened.

But the quiet was only the calm before the storm, and as the young Captain dared to let out the tiniest sliver of a sigh of relief, he thought he heard someone cry out. His eyes widened in shock and he let out a huff of breath, his eyebrows drawing back. What had been said?

"Za...ru... Zabimaru!" he choked out, realising that for the Lieutenant to have been dragged into battle, then that could mean only one thing.

Rangiku had been defeated.

Pain stabbed into Toshiro's heart, sharper and more twisting than the blade of the dead Soul Reaper's. His eyes cried out what his mouth could not, the sea of suffering- of overwhelming emotions- inside him was churning into an unquenchable storm. Was Matsumoto to be like him- the next victim dragged into treason? Or was she simply dead- tossed aside out of the way while the puppet master sought out an even more formidable doll?

"Protect her, Renji," he pleaded, knuckles whitening around the bars which locked him in this nightmare of spectatorship.

He listened to the sounds of battle for an eternity before a sound broke the spell, throwing him from his precarious position at the edge of the precipice and casting him down into the abyss below, past the flower growing from the side.

"_Bankai!"_

Renji had used his bankai. He had used Hihio Zabimaru. Toshiro knew that meant that either his opponent had somehow gained extra power, or... Renji was being overwhelmed and was losing.

At once, Hitsugaya was snapped out of his reverie. A rush of air escaped his teeth as he twisted round, stepping back into the centre of his cell. This settled it- he was getting out of here. He didn't care if he was committing treason for real this time. He didn't care if what he was doing would be worthy of execution. He was going to die anyway, so he might as well do it saving his friends.

"Now, how do I get out?" he breathed, eyes darting around. His Hyorinmaru was being kept on a table in the room outside his cell, so if he broke out of the window he'd have to leave it behind. No good if he wanted to fight whoever had turned him into their sick little mannequin. Blasting through the wall gave him the same problem. Which left him with only one option. Destroy the bars, grab Hyorinmaru and cut down anyone who got in his way.

Hitsugaya allowed himself a small smirk, something rare for him.

"Sounds like a plan."

**ooo**

Hanataro almost dropped the tray he was carrying as he headed towards Captain Hitsugaya's cell. He had been almost about to turn the corner when he heard a very ominous sound coming from his destination.

A shiver ran up his spine as he suddenly had the feeling that it was a good idea to be anywhere but here right about now.

**ooo**

Hitsugaya narrowed his eyes as he raised his hands and concentrated his reiatsu, preparing for the kido.

"Ye Lord, mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of man, Inferno and Pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, march on the south! Hado Thirty-One, Shakkaho!"

The blast was earth-shattering, as the flaming ball of the kido smashed into the bars at close-range, shattering them instantly and generating a giant explosion in the process. Hitsugaya coughed as the smoke was dragged up his nostrils and into his mouth as he inhaled, and he roughly dragged the back of one hand across his cheek to wipe away the dust and traces of debris which had accumulated there.

He knew he didn't have long now until guards came, drawn by the explosion like moths to a flame, to subdue him, so he needed to make the most of his time. Dashing forward, he picked Hyorinmaru up, a sensation of peace and being complete filling him as his hand grasped around the hilt. Quickening his pace, he began to leave the room, but was stopped in his tracks when he almost collided with an unfortunate Soul Reaper.

"Hanataro!" he cried out as the dazed and winded boy staggered backwards, somehow managing to keep steady the contents of the tray he was carrying despite his stomach-lurching swaying.

"I'm sorry... Captain..." the bystander groaned out as his eyes rolled back in their sockets and he nearly passed out there and then.

Toshiro frowned, and then widened his eyes as an idea passed through his mind. Well, he was a prodigy, after all. Breaking into a run once more, he grabbed the spinning Squad 4 member around his waist as he passed by, finally sending the boy's doomed tray crashing to the ground.

"Wh-what are you doing, Captain Hitsugaya?" Hanataro spluttered as he found himself being whisked away by the snow-haired Soul Reaper. A situation he found especially confusing and disorientating given the Captain in question's height.

"You're coming with me," Toshiro told him flatly, not bothering to comment further on the situation. Instead he reserved his concentration for flash steps and planning what to do once he arrived at the scene of Renji's battle.

_Hanataro will, if nothing else, make a good hostage should anyone try to stop me, _he thought._ He's also a member of Squad 4, so if Rangiku is hurt when I find her, he'll be able to help. But, what do I do when I get there? I'm not in a very good condition to fight, not that that'll stop me. I'm going to make that bastard pay for what he's done- to me, to Rangiku, to my honour, and to the honour of the Soul Society!_


	6. Chapter 5 Kiss of Dust

A/N- Wow, another chapter up so soon! Yay! It's because I've had so much support from everyone who reviewed the last chapter- it really inspired me to keep going! So, please review! The more I get the faster I write! I've stayed up 'til half-ten to get this finished, and I'm totally exhausted! But it's worth it for you guys, so please leave me a review at the end! I'm very proud of this chapter, I really feel like my writing style is maturing, and I think I'm getting the hang of Hitsugaya's character better. Anyway, like I always say, please read, review and enjoy!

PS- just a funny anecdote, the other day I grabbed a punnet of GIANT strawberries my mother had bought. When I asked her if they were for me, she replied, "Yes, just don't get strawberry juice down your shirt." At this I said, "You mean _Ichigo_ juice?" At this point I was told that not only did that sound extremely dirty, but I had an obsessive mind and should just go eat the damn strawberries. Oh well! XD

**ooo**

**Chapter 5**

The ability to decide who lives and who dies. This is what we deem the power of a god, or power of god-like proportions. And yet, any one of us could walk out onto the street and kill the next person we see. We constantly decide who around us lives and dies. No, the power of a god comes not from the choice between life and death for every one of us, but from the power to decide who lives and who dies _without repercussion._ Yes, we could walk out into the street and cut down the next person we meet, but we know that we would be incarcerated for the rest of our lives, or our own lives would be taken from us. But the power of a _god_ is the ability to kill and to spare without facing any consequences for your actions. We all walk out in the streets, in the cities and towns where we live, knowing that anyone could end us at any moment, yet we feel safe in knowing that they will face the consequences of what they have done. Chaos and pandemonium ensue when there are those out there who can kill and never atone for it, for whom massacre is as troubling and guilt-free as breathing. That, truly, is what makes it the power of a god.

It was that power, the power to kill without repercussion, the power to strike fear into the hearts of all with slaughter, which he wanted, Hitsugaya was sure.

**ooo**

A small cloud of dust was kicked-up, as Hitsugaya shuddered to a stop. In front of him was a street, not one he particularly recognised- he didn't come to this part of the Seireitei often- but that didn't bother him now.

Just a few metres away stood the man who had branded him a traitor. Just a few metres away lay the man who had given him hope, a corpse. As his turquoise eyes quivered and he looked on in shock, the man who had tormented him inclined his head in the young Captain's direction. And smirked.

Breath rattled in Toshiro's throat, and his breathing hitched as he watched a horrific sight unfold before him. Part of him realised and relayed to his brain that this whole thing must have happened to him before, but it was still sickening to watch.

Before Hitsugaya's eyes, the demon grabbed Renji roughly by the back of the head. Flecks of blood spattered onto the ground as the Lieutenant's body jerked at the forceful contact. The cord which normally tied back his hair, shredded in battle, fell away, leaving waves of crimson strands to fall across his savaged shoulders. The man pulled Renji upwards, his other hand cupping the body's waist to support it. In different circumstances, the motion could have been considered romantic, but it was a macabre spectacle here.

The ebony-haired intruder dragged Renji's head towards his own, inclining it slightly to the side, although to a distant spectator it could have simply lolled there itself. Casting one last glance back at the snow-haired prodigy, he threw him one final satanic wink, before shifting his hand from Renji's waist, grabbing him by the jaw and- parting back his viper-mouth wide- crushing his lips to the Lieutenant's.

Hitsugaya screamed in his mind, and his stomach lurched. Was this some kind of sick fetish the man had? Had he himself been abused in this way after he'd been defeated? Was this supposed to enrage the Captain, to incite him to attack? If it was the latter, then he had certainly succeeded in making Hitsugaya's blood boil.

Hanataro slumped to the ground, abandoned from Toshiro's arms as frost began to seep across the earth and the young prodigy slowly seethed above him, his heavy breathing in time with the creeping of the tendrils of ice.

But this was no ordinary kiss. As the intruder's lips grazed Renji's, the dark-haired man began to glow white, the soft light flowing over his skin like a current, dragging his body with it. As Hitsugaya continued to watch, he was slowly pulled into Renji's mouth, like a body crumbling to dust. Except he was crumbling feet-first, and the dust flowed upwards, into the Lieutenant, not down to the sand below.

As the last traces of the man passed over Renji's lips, the Lieutenant's body slumped downwards, falling first to its knees, then face-first onto the ground. As it lay there, Hanataro gave a small gasp and quickly scrambled to his feet, taking the first few scuttling steps towards the prone man.

He stopped when he felt a cold hand on his shoulder.

"No."

Hanataro turned his head round and looked in stunned shock at the icy features of the Captain.

"B-but why not, Captain? We have to help him!"

Gravely, Captain Hitsugaya shook his head.

"It's too dangerous. We don't know what just happened, although I have an idea as to what occurred. There's a good chance that right now that isn't even Renji anymore. Your priority is to go and look for Lieutenant Matsumoto. She's probably lying around here somewhere. Treat her injuries as best you can and then get her to Squad Four for further treatment. Is that understood?"

Hanataro nodded, wide-eyed, before stammering, "Y-yes sir. Just, one small question, Captain Hitsugaya. H-how do you know that the Lieutenant is here?"

Toshiro sighed quietly, his eyes shifting to show a glimmer of pain. "Because I heard her fighting..."

Hanataro stared at him for a few seconds, comprehending the answer, and then dipped his head slightly. "I'll go look for her right away, Captain."

With that, the Squad Four member scurried away, glancing back at the young Captain and the body of the Lieutenant the whole time.

**ooo**

"You're not Renji anymore," the Captain stated, his soft, snowy hair fluttering in a chilling breeze which scraped down the street.

"What... gave it away?" the man asked with a sneer and a smirk, jerkily pushing himself to his feet, manipulating Renji's body like a grisly, masochistic puppeteer, scuffing his hands as he got up.

"Don't play games with me," Hitsugaya warned, his voice as sharp and brittle as the snap of a frozen icicle.

"Hmph," the intruder scoffed as he pulled himself up to his new full height. As he spoke, he continued to test and manipulate his new body, flexing Renji's rippling muscles, wincing as he stretched the open wound now in his chest. "In that case, I should probably introduce myself. I am Katsumi Kaneko, your worst nightmare..."

"I don't think so," Toshiro frowned, eyes gazing levelly at the body snatcher. "I dreamt of scarier things than you when I was a child."

"_Was_ a child?" the man in Renji's body derided. "You should go back to your cradle where you belong, little boy."

At this, Hitsugaya's frown became murderous, and anyone nearby could have sworn they heard the rumble of a distant glacier thundering down upon them. The crunch of hardened frost was audible in the Captain's breathing, and his eyes were tinted as twin ice caves. If there was one thing the Captain of the Tenth Squad disliked most in the world, it was anything childish. And if there were one thing the Captain of the Tenth Squad _despised_ most in the entire world, it was being called a child.

Hyorinmaru in hand, Hitsugaya charged forwards with a lethal cry, his footsteps pounding like hail. "Let's see a child do this!" he called, swinging his zanpakuto around, both hands gripping it with practiced ease. "Sit upon the frozen heavens! Hyorinmaru!"

As it had done before, the legendary dragon of ice and water poured out of the blade of Hitsugaya's zanpakuto, his overflowing spiritual pressure driving it towards its target. He knew he had to be careful- he couldn't afford to damage Renji's body too seriously, especially with the severe chest wound the man had already attained. Yet, at the same time, if he didn't fight hard enough, then not only would the man get away with Renji's body, he might also take Toshiro's own life too.

With a wicked grin, Kaneko crouched and gripped Renji's zanpakuto.

"Bankai..."


	7. Chapter 6 God of Darkness

_A/N- Slightly longer than usual chapter for you! I suppose it's to make up for the wait since the last chapter- I'm so sorry! Anyway, as always, I've love to hear your thoughts and comments in a review, especially if you've been reading this fic and haven't commented yet! Please forgive my attempts to name things is Japanese in this chapter! I don't know a lot of Japanese, although I'm picking it up, and I spent a whole hour doing internet research. But if you do spot a mistake in the Japanese, please tell me so I can fix it as soon as possible! Thank you for reading this fic- big thanks to everyone who's reviewed, faved and alerted so far! I hope you enjoy this chapter!_

**Chapter 6**

A gushing vortex erupted around Renji's form, completely obscuring it from view. Hitsugaya winced and then growled as his ice dragon smashed into the outside, a shrieking crash echoing throughout the Seireitei. Keeping his balance despite the straining and jarring forces involved, Toshiro sprang backwards lithely and landed on his toes ten metres from the now disappearing whirlpool of wind and spiritual pressure. The massive form of Renji's bankai let out a hissing wail as it screamed at the young Captain before the man in Renji's body, smirking in very Renji-like fashion, cracked his whip-like zanpakuto forwards with his full force, sending the terrible snake crashing towards Toshiro.

Hitsugaya dodged to the side agilely, springing away from the shrieking danger at the last possible moment. He hoped that the man was yet to take his full measure, and was forcibly slowing his reaction time in order to catch him off-guard later on with a faster move. As the skeletal snake swung round for a second attack, Hitsugaya span around, now standing in mid-air a few metres to the right, and swung his zanpakuto down diagonally, launching one of his famous ice dragons at the bankai, using every scrap of overflowing spiritual pressure he could muster.

The two serpents collided with monumental force as Hitsugaya was thrown backwards, his body contorting in the air, limp as a puppet whose strings had been cut. He smashed into the roof of a nearby building, a dust cloud littered with debris thrown up around him. In a move designed to finish the young Captain off, the monstrous skeletal form of Abarai's bankai followed through with its lunge, plunging into the roof at the very spot where Hitsugaya had struck.

"Pathetic little worm," Kaneko muttered, spitting at the ground. "That runt of a Lieutenant put up more of a fight than you. You didn't even use your bankai. I'm disgusted."

With a crack he reeled in the snake, looping it around him in a wide circle. He was about to revert Zabimaru back into a katana again when a voice spoke.

"You think..." Hitsugaya huffed, dragging himself to his feet atop the roof, his right arm clamped around the top of his left, blood dripping down the side of his face. "That I'd die... that easily...?"

The body snatcher looked up with mildly interested eyes. Upon taking in the silver-haired boy's numerous grave injuries, his expression shifted to mildly amused.

"Hmm, you're more resilient than I thought. Perhaps I should reward you... Would you like to hear why I stole your body and tried to steal that dusty old artefact? Shall I tell you about the Banished Ones?"

"You_ bastard_," Hitsugaya spat, wiping a trickle of blood from his mouth with the back of his right hand.

"I'll take that as a yes," Kaneko chuckled with a grin. It pleased him no end to know that he'd gotten to the little Captain.

Standing up straight, he gazed levelly at Hitsugaya, staring him straight in the eyes. He pulled Renji's face into a mask of seriousness, an expression more fitting of Byakuya Kuchiki rather than his Lieutenant.

"Long ago," he began, as if reeling off a children's fairy tale. "In an ill-remembered time of the Soul Society, there arose a number of Soul Reapers whose powers were far greater than any possessed by any today, even you Captains. The quickly rose up the ranks of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, and became highly distinguished."

"But the Central Forty-Six became wary and jealous of these Soul Reapers." His eyes narrowed. "They decided that they were a threat, and ordered the immediate removal of their Soul Reaper powers, then exiled them."

"Is that who you are?" Hitsugaya coughed, eyes reduced to slits. "One of these banished Soul Reapers?"

Kaneko nodded. "The Soul Society tried to destroy me for nothing! _Nothing!_" He regained his composure. "We found ourselves trapped in Hueco Mundo, the realm of the hollows."

Toshiro's eyes widened. "In Hueco Mundo?"

"We wandered there for a long time, barely surviving, clinging to life. But after centuries of searching, we came across an artefact capable of restoring our powers to us. We had no idea of its origins or what it was fully capable of, but we named it the 'kaifuku no tama' – the sphere of restoration.

"Once the sphere was used, it took a full year to recharge its power, and slowly, as time passed, we each regained our powers. There had been twenty of us when we were exiled. Of those, five were killed in Hueco Mundo, and ten –including myself- regained their powers.

"But then, fifty years ago, there was... an accident." His mouth twitched back to reveal his teeth and he averted his eyes from Hitsugaya. He didn't seem keen to discuss the details of it. "The sphere was lost to us, and we were left stranded without hope in Hueco Mundo once again. But then, two months ago, some disturbing events began to take place in Hueco Mundo-" Again he seemed to pass over the details. "-And through them we were able to locate the sphere. We discovered that it had fallen into the hands of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads and was now being held within the Seireitei."

"So that's why you came here," Hitsugaya concluded, staring down at his enemy.

"I came here to reclaim the kaifuku no tama. I will not leave without it."

"Then you'll have to go through me first!" Hitsugaya snarled, springing from the rooftop and swinging his sword down over his head to slice Kaneko in two.

The man glanced up at him with a smirk, not even bothering to move.

"Are you forgetting whose body I'm in?" he asked coolly. Hitsugaya's eyes widened as he realised what he was doing.

"Shit!" he cursed. That man was in Renji's body. If he cut him in two he'd kill his friend!

With all the strength he possessed, he dragged his blade to one side and it slammed into the ground inches away from Renji's body. Toshiro huffed from the jolt jarring up his arms from impact, but as he shifted his weight to pick up his sword, the exile sent a hefty kick smashing into his stomach, knocking the wind from him, cracking a rib, and sending him flying once again, this time to smash into the ground a few metres away.

"Damn... it..." he hissed, voice rasping as he struggled for breath. His whole chest was one fire, and he'd felt his right shoulder utter a sickening 'crack' upon collision with the earth. He didn't know how much more of this he could take.

The man in Renji's body laughed as his eyes passed over the sight of the snow-haired boy lying in agony on the ground, his shihakusho and haori stained and covered with dust and blood, body criss-crossed with vibrant scarlet slashes.

"Y'know what? You're so far gone you'll probably die soon! I don't think I even need this bankai anymore to finish you off!" He adjusted his spiritual pressure and Renji's bankai evaporated away, leaving the Soul Reaper's form in its usual attire. "Heh, now I think I'm gonna put you out of your misery..."

The man stepped forwards, raising his zanpakuto- now resembling a regular katana- to deliver the killing blow. Hitsugaya inched his head round, eyes wide and glistening with fear as he watched the man prepare to end his life.

The man peeled back his lips in an animalistic grin, dripping with bloodlust, as he caught sight of the white-haired boy's terrified expression. "That's right, I wanna see that terrified look in your eyes as you die!"

The man took another step closer, relishing the Captain's fear, before he was stopped in his tracks. Hitsugaya blinked, and the mask of terror on his face was wiped away into an almost uncharacteristic smirk. Rolling over with unexpected speed (wincing as he heard another rib crack in the process) he raised one hand and fired a kido at point-blank range.

"Hado Four, Byakurai!"

The pale lightning erupted from his grazed finger, crashing into Renji's stomach and sending him smashing into the wall of a far building. Hitsugaya lowered his hand to the ground and gasped for breath. Using that kido had taken its toll upon him, but he'd seen no other option, other than to die. With a grunt, he raised his head slightly and watched as the dust cleared. His heart began to pound as he worried about the damage he might have caused Renji's body. Had he killed the Lieutenant?

As the debris, kicked up as Renji's body had hit the wall, finally drifted back to the ground, Hitsugaya saw that the man was slumped against the wall. He could discern a faint movement of his chest, indicating that he was still alive and breathing. Toshiro breathed a faint, ragged sigh of relief.

As he looked on, he saw Renji's mouth slip open, and a trickle of white dust began to pour out. Hitsugaya's eyes widened with shock before he realised what was happening. He had defeated Renji enough to drive the body snatcher out of him. More sand and dust flowed out, until a large mound lay on the ground and the last few specks dropped to the earth. When the last grain hit the ground, the whole pile began to shift and reform, billowing upwards into the shape of a man. A few moments later, the last of Kaneko's features morphed into place, and he stood upright, glaring at the young prodigy.

"You bastard. How dare you do that to me!" His sapphire eyes were ablaze, his pale hands clenched tightly into fists. He raised one hand and pointed it at Hitsugaya, aiming it directly between the young Captain's eyes. "Two can play at that game! Hado Thirty-T-"

His incantation was interrupted by a strange buzzing noise. As he span around, a fuzzy rip appeared in the air behind him, a few metres to the right of Renji, and a man stepped through the portal, leaving it open behind him.

The new man scowled at Kaneko, running a set of long, slim fingers through his ruffled, partially slicked-back, ocean blue hair. His eyes were a pale grey, similar in shade to those of Byakuya Kuchiki, and his face, although equally narrow, was far more sharply defined than Kaneko's. He was wearing the same outfit as the other man, albeit the cloak fastened around his neck was a deep, midnight blue instead of ashen.

"You disappoint me, Katsumi. I expected more of you," his tutted, raising one eyebrow, arms folded across his chest.

Kaneko glowered at the man, hand twitching towards his zanpakuto. "What do you want, Daiki?"

The man known as Daiki chuckled and then raised one arm. "Bakudo Sixty-One, Rikujokoro."

At once six beams of light slammed into Kaneko's body, forming a flower-like circle around his middle. The victim roared in anger, but was unable to move any of his limbs.

"I'm taking you back to Hueco Mundo, Katsumi. We told you not to come here yet. You've endangered us all."

Kaneko roared again, but had no other way to vent his anger. By some unseen force, he was lifted off the ground and dragged over to where his blue-haired 'comrade' stood. Hitsugaya's eyes widened as the second man turned towards his portal and began to leave.

"Stop!" Hitsugaya yelled, forcing himself, via his elbows and knees, onto his feet. He stood there shakily, crying out in anger at the two exiles. "I'm not letting you leave! If you get away I'll be executed as a criminal. So there's no way I'm letting you leave here."

The ocean-haired former Soul Reaper frowned. "Hmm, you may prove bothersome." He moved one hand to where his zanpakuto was strapped to his hip. "Very well then, since you're so keen to avoid execution, I'll show you the power of my shikai. Attack me, Captain."

Hitsugaya growled and grasped Hyorinmaru tightly in his hand. Summoning all his strength he charged forwards with a cry.

Daiki's gaze pierced him. "Send all to oblivion, Yami no Kami."

A dark aura filled in air, and a wave of pure blackness emanated from the drawn zanpakuto. Its hilt was black, as was its blade, and a tattered, torn thread of black fell from the end of the hilt. It looked like the dark opposite of Rukia Kuchiki's Sode no Shirayuki. The gush of black hit the Captain like a tsunami crashing over a coast. He felt his whole body snap backwards before he was forced into unconscious as if a bottle of chloroform had been thrust down his nose.

**ooo**

Turquoise eyes blinked open groggily, and a slender, pale hand reached up to scratch a burning itch on his head. A moan escaped his slightly parted lips as the world span sickeningly before finally slipping into focus. Clouds rolled gently in the blue sky overhead (something familiar about that colour- here and there is was tinged like the depths of a lake) and he was surrounded on all sides by buildings. Was this... the World of the Living?

He blinked in confusion and ran his hand through his fluffy snow-white hair, his other hand sliding across the rough ground as he used it to prop himself up into a sitting position. What had he just thought? The World of the Living? What was that? Why had that come into his head? Glancing down, he saw he was wearing a plain white robe, his small feet bare and clean. Why was he dressed like that, and lying out in the middle of the street?

And, come to think of it, just who was he anyway?


	8. Chapter 7 Chilled Spaghetti

_A/N- Sorry this chapter was so long coming! My muse dissapeared lately and since so few people reviewed last chapter I decided there were other things I wanted to prioritze first (not that I wouldn't get round to writing this anyway!). I managed to finish the story mode on Bleach 3rd Phantom! And finish Phoneix Wright: Ace Attorney on my ipod. So I'm in a good mood. Thank you to the people who reviewed the last chapter! And everyone who's read this so far! Points for anyone who realises who Toshiro bumps into before it's actually revealed! (Not that it's too hard tog guess!)_

_Like I always say- please read and enjoy! And I'd always like to hear your feedback!_

**Chapter 7**

A sudden, sickening pang groped its way across his stomach. He had no name? How could that be? Who was he, exactly? As these thoughts passed through his head, another sudden realisation hit him. He had no memories either, other than that strange feeling of recognition when he'd seen the blue of the sky, and the odd phrase that had come into his mind to name the place where he had found himself. Who had he been, before he had lost his memories?

His head hurt as he struggled to remember- which brought back something else. An image flashed before his eyes- a dark room with a small square of light and a hand pressed against his forehead in pain.

He scrunched his eyes shut and grunted in pain at the picture. Seeing that had hurt his head even more. He needed something to clear this pain so he could think straight. Maybe some fresh air? Using his free hand, he pushed himself up to his feet and took another look around. There didn't appear to be anyone nearby- the whole street seemed deserted. Well, in that case, he would just have to keep moving until he found someone.

But as he brought one foot forward to begin his trek- not relishing the feel of the rough tarmac against the bare soles of his feet- he caught sight of a girl walking onto the street about twenty metres away. She was humming to herself and carrying two large brown bags of groceries, one in each arm. As he watched, her foot nudged against a lump in the pavement and her body was thrown forwards, her shopping leaving her arms as she found herself splayed across the ground, her groceries surrounding her and her gingery hair tangled around her face.

He let out a gasp, his eyes widening slightly as he registered that she'd fallen, and sprinted over to her, ignoring the grazes the road left on his feet.

"Are you okay?" he asked, crouching down to her and offering one hand out to help her up.

"Thank you, but I'm fine, really," the girl insisted, smiling. He nudged his outstretched hand towards her again, however, and she took it, supporting her weight on him as she wobbled to her feet. Not hesitating, he bent down and began to gather up her dropped groceries, part of his mind wondering what she planned to do with the bizarre combination of ingredients she had bought.

"I do hope nothing has broken," she fretted as she turned and picked up the last few items which had somehow tumbled behind her, not quite registering the boy who had helped her. She seemed to be half-focused, half-daydreaming. "I was going to try out a new European-inspired recipe tonight- chilled Spaghetti Bolognese with whipped cream and gravy-covered toast. Because, as you know, a healthy growing girl like me needs to make sure she eats a hearty meal or she'll end up as skin and bones, and then no-one would employ her and she might end up out on the streets! And then someone might come along and make her an offer and before she knows it she's working part-time at the local disco club serving mini-sandwiches to foreign gangsters on the run from the police! "

_I feel sorry for her stomach and her mind, as well as her toilet... _he thought as he turned around and handed her supplies over to her. "Here you go, then."

The girl's eyes suddenly opened very wide as she finally noticed who exactly it was who had helped her. "Toshiro! It's you! What are you doing here? Ichigo said something about you being in trouble before he and Rukia headed off to the Soul Society, and we were all really worried about you! You're not on the run are you?"

He blinked up at her in surprise. This girl knew him? "Toshiro. That's my name?"

She looked puzzled for a second before her mind came up with an answer for her. "Oh, sorry, I mean 'Captain Hitsugaya'!"

He blinked again. "What are you talking about?" Had she misinterpreted his question? And what had she just said- was he a Captain? He only looked about ten at most.

The girl gasped and her mouth formed a large 'o'. Only her brain could jump to the correct conclusion after such a short amount of time, if only because it was such an abstract conclusion to begin with.

"Oh no! You've lost your memories! And that's why you were in trouble! Although I'd have thought the Soul Society was a better place to find answers- I'm sure Rangiku would help you, once she'd finished laughing and playing tricks on you, that is." She laughed slightly embarrassedly and scratched the back of her head. "She's like that. But she's really nice!"

That rang a dim bell in his mind. An image of giant boobs filled his head. He almost gagged in surprise at the thought coming into his mind. Had he been some sort of child-pervert?

"Toshiro? Are you okay?" the girl asked in concern, leaning towards him. He saw her breasts coming towards his face and nearly leaped backwards for fear of becoming some sort of depraved individual.

"I-I'm okay..." he stuttered, shielding himself with her groceries. "Just t-tell me... I wasn't a... pervert, was I?"

The gingery girl looked stunned. "No. Why do you ask?"

"It's just, when you said 'Rangiku', all I could remember was a giant pair of breasts in my face..."

She stood back up and laughed, one hand covering her mouth. "Silly Toshiro! That's because you're right at boob-height! Every time she stood in front of you, you couldn't help but look right at them!"

For some reason he couldn't explain, he flinched at 'silly Toshiro', but was more relieved to find out he didn't have to beware the wrath of any women he may have known before he lost his memories. Now all he needed to do was regain his memories, and perhaps this girl could help.

"What's your name?" he asked, being as blunt and direct as ever when addressing someone- not that he remembered that.

The girl looked taken aback for a moment, before she remembered that the boy had forgotten everything. "I'm Orihime Inoue. I'm one of Ichigo's friends! I went to the Soul Society with him, along with Uryu, Chad and Yoruichi, to help rescue Rukia. Oh, you should know, Ichigo's a Substitute Soul Reaper, he was given his powers by Rukia- who really likes Chappy the rabbit- and then she was arrested by Renji and Captain Kuchiki- who incidentally is Rukia's adopted brother- and so we all went with Ichigo to go save her. And then-"

He decided he needed to cut her off, or they'd be stuck there all day. "I think that'll do for now. Why don't I help you carry your shopping home, and then maybe you could tell me a little more about myself and this 'Soul Society' you keep mentioning?"

Orihime smiled widely and ruffled his hair, inciting a small growl from him. "Okay! That's sounds like a good idea, Toshiro! Off we go then!" And with that, she started off down the road, leaving him to hurry along to catch up.

"Hey! Slow down!"

**ooo**

Once they arrived at Orihime's, Toshiro helped her unpack. She discovered he was surprising helpful at this, his small size allowing him access to the awkward areas in the backs of the cupboards. Once everything had been assigned to its proper place, she led him through to her living room, and offered him a chair to sit on. Once they were settled down, she smiled and, clutching her teddy bear which had been expertly repaired by Uryu after the incident with her brother, asked,

"So, Toshiro, where do you want to begin?"

Toshiro, still unused to the sound of his own name, glanced around the room and, feeling no nostalgia or any resurfacing memories, decided to ask about the place where he'd apparently met Orihime.

"Okay, tell me about the Soul Society. What is it, exactly?"

Orihime pursed her lips in thought, and scratched her head. "That's a hard one to explain..." Suddenly, she brought her fist down on her palm as an idea struck her. "Hang on a second!"

At this, she dived from her chair and scurried away into another room, leaving a rather bewildered Toshiro staring after her. After a minute or so of rummaging, and the occasional unnerving bang, she returned, clutching a notepad.

"Rukia left this behind last time she was here," she explained, sitting back down in her chair. She flipped through a few pages, before finding what she wanted and turning the page to face Hitsugaya.

Toshiro gawked at the picture, hardly believing what he was seeing. "H-how... how can anyone draw so badly?" he cried out.

**ooo**

In the Dangai Precipice World, Rukia looked up in shock, as if someone had just called her name. Ichigo, running beside her, looked at her in confusion.

"What is it?" he asked, frowning.

"I'm not sure..." she replied, musing. "But I just had the feeling that someone was insulting my drawings..."

Ichigo groaned.

**ooo**

"Okay," Orihime began once Toshiro had finished spluttering. "I'm not very good at explaining stuff like this, but I'll give it my best shot!" She had a look of fierce determination on her face, and her brows were furrowed with the strength of her fortitude.

"Right then, when people die, their souls leave their body. That's because the Chain of Fate which is attached to their chest has broken, I think."

Hitsugaya nodded, taking it in, although none of this was ringing any bells yet.

"There are two kinds of souls- Wholes and Hollows. Wholes-" She pointed to a small smiling rabbit head surrounded by lots of little pluses. "-are good souls. They either go to the Soul Society, or are sent there by Soul Reapers who perform konso- soul burial- on them."

Toshiro nodded again, although he still couldn't appreciate the crappy artwork.

"Hollows are souls who've gone bad. They've turned into these huge horrible monsters with this shrieking cry, and they have a hole in their chest!" She waved her arms around trying to demonstrate what she was saying, before pointing back to the page, to a drawing of a rabbit's head with horns and an evil glare. "Hollows eat other souls to fill the void in their hearts! Wholes will turn into hollows if their Chain of Fate reaches their chest before they're sent to the Soul Society."

There was that Soul Society again, Toshiro noticed.

"The Soul Society is the place where all souls eventually go to live," Orihime explained. "It's surrounded by the Rukon District, and in the middle of it is the Seireitei. That's where the Soul Reapers live."

Seireitei... That sounded familiar.

"The Seireitei is sort of like the base of operations for the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. You're the Captain of Squad Ten- Toshiro Hitsugaya, and your Lieutenant is Rangiku Matsumoto."

Toshiro nodded once more. So he was a Captain after all! And the woman who it seemed liked to shove her boobs in his face was his Lieutenant! More and more images were starting to come back to him now, although they were all seemingly inconsequential: piles and piles of paperwork; a small, dark-haired, smiling girl... Momo; a giant dragon made of ice sat upon an icy plain; and a rather disturbing trip to a... 'health land'.

He grimaced and clutched one hand to his once again aching forehead.

_Just who am I? What does all of this mean?_


End file.
